Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “bezoar” come from?

bezoar (English) comes from Spanish bezoar, from French bézoard, from Arabic بَازَهْر, from Middle Persian pʾtzhl, from Middle Persian pʾt, from Old Persian 𐎱𐎠𐎮𐎹, from Proto-Indo-Iranian paH-, from Proto-Indo-European peh₂- — to protect; to shepherd.

bezoar (English): A mass, usually of hair or undigested vegetable...

Definitions

  1. A mass, usually of hair or undigested vegetable...

Ancestry of “bezoar”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Spanishbezoarbezoar
2Frenchbézoardbezoar
3Arabicبَازَهْرbezoar
4Middle Persianpʾtzhlbezoar; antidote
5Middle Persianpʾt—
6Old Persian𐎱𐎠𐎮𐎹to protect
7Proto-Indo-IranianpaH-—
8Proto-Indo-Europeanpeh₂-to protect; to shepherd

Words derived from “bezoar”

  • trichobezoar
  • phytobezoar
  • pseudobezoar
Every word from Proto-Indo-European peh₂- →